Live Free or Die: Troy Rising, Book One

When aliens trundled a gate to other worlds into the solar system, the world reacted with awe, hope and fear. But the first aliens to come through, the Glatun, were peaceful traders and the world breathed a sigh of relief.

A Hymn Before Battle: Legacy of the Aldenata

With Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the Galactic Federation offers help to the backward humans - for a price. You can protect yourself from your enemies, but God save you from your allies!

Under a Graveyard Sky: Black Tide Rising, Book 1

Zombies are real. And we made them. Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse? The Smith family is, with the help of a few marines. When an airborne "zombie" plague is released, bringing civilization to a grinding halt, the Smith family, Steven, Stacey, Sophia, and Faith, take to the Atlantic to avoid the chaos. The plan is to find a safe haven from the anarchy of infected humanity. What they discover, instead, is a sea composed of the tears of survivors and a passion for bringing hope.

Ghost: Paladin of Shadows, Book 1

Former SEAL Michael Harmon, Team Name ''Ghost'', retired for service injuries, is not enjoying college life. But things are about to change, if not for the better. When he sees a kidnapping, a series of, at the time logical, decisions leave him shot to ribbons and battling a battalion of Syrian commandos with only the help of three naked co-eds who answer to the names ''Bambi,'' ''Thumper'' and ''Cotton Tail.'

Koban, Volume 1

We colonized 700 planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion room and the end of wars. We even disbanded our military. Then the Krall found us. The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the entire galaxy, through destruction and annihilation of every opponent.

Koban is an uninhabited high-gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall tested humans for war capability.

March Upcountry: Prince Roger Series, Book 1

Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock was young, handsome, athletic, an excellent dresser, and third in line for the Throne of Man. So it wasn't surprising that he became spoiled, self-centered, and petulant. After all, what else did he have to do with his life?

The Last Centurion

In the second decade of the 21st century, the world is struck by two catastrophes: a new mini-ice age and a plague to dwarf all previous experiences. Rising out of the disaster is the character known to history as "Bandit Six", an American Army officer caught up in the struggle to rebuild the world and prevent the fall of his homeland - despite the best efforts of politicians, both elected and military.

Monster Hunter International

Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.

Into the Looking Glass: Looking Glass Series, Book 1

When asubatomic physics experiment causes a massive explosion, interdimensional gateways open in Florida - and aliens pour out. Some intend to bring Earth to its knees. Others seem willing to help, but will annihilate the planet if Navy SEAL Command Master Chief Robert Miller can't stop the menace from spreading.

Earth Alone: Earthrise, Book 1

They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Fifty years ago bloodthirsty aliens devastated the Earth. Most of humanity perished. We fell into darkness. But now we rise from the ashes. Now we fight back. Marco Emery was born into the war. After his mother is killed, he joins the Human Defense Force, Earth's ragtag army. Emery must survive basic training, become a soldier, and finally face the aliens in battle. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win.

Starship Liberator: Galactic Liberation, Book 1

The Hundred Worlds have withstood invasion by the relentless Hok for decades. The human worlds are strong, but the Hok have the resources of a thousand planets behind them, and their fleets attack in endless waves. The long war has transformed the Hundred Worlds into heavily fortified star systems. Their economies are geared for military output, and they raise specialized soldiers to save our species. Assault Captain Derek Straker is one such man among many.

Iron Dragoons: Terran Armor Corps, Book 1

Soldiers of the Terran Armor Corps wage war across the stars. Wired into mechanized battle suits, they fight the terrifying battles which must be won, no matter the cost. Their deeds are legend, their reputation feared by the enemies of Earth and her allies, but how the Corps forges young men and women into mighty warriors is shrouded by mystery. Roland Shaw lost his parents to war, he volunteers for the Armor Corps to honor their memory and discover just how far he can push himself.

Publisher's Summary

Of all the hosts of Eurotas, the Troias were the most fell. For they were born of Winter.

Between the Solar Array Pumped Laser and Troy, the two-trillion-ton nickel-iron battlestation created by eccentric billionaire Tyler Vernon, Earth has managed to recapture the Sol system from their Horvath conquerors and has begun entering the galactic millieu. But when the Rangora Empire rapidly crushes humanity's only ally, it becomes clear the war is just beginning.

At the heart of nickel, iron, and starlight are the people, Marines, Navy, and civilians who make Troy a living, breathing, engine of war. Survivors of apocalypse, they know the cost of failure. If this Troy falls, no one will be left to write the epic.

Citadel continues the saga begun in Live Free or Die, following the paths of several characters during the first years of The Spiral Arm Wars, culminating in the First Battle of E Eridani.

The book starts out slow for a Ringo sequel, but all that time is spent introducing two new main characters. There is a bit of over-lap with the first book to introduce the new characters, then the book takes off into new areas. If you're not a Ringo fan, then this book isn't for you. I've listened to all his books, and this one is one of the better ones.

So you have to read the first book "Live Free or Die" before this one, if you have then there is no reason you shouldnt be getting this book

The beginning is another view of what happened in the last chapters of the first book and introduces some new characters - you have Butch and Dana or "Comet" as she is called after what happened in the end of the first book and described in detail in the beginning of this book

The story continues more or less and there are a couple more battles ending in one crazy battle - I thought this was very well, there were those parts where it would jump forward months or years in a single chapter but its OK and as Tyler would put it "fiddly bits" - but because of this it was sorta like an abridged book even though it wasnt, its not like stuff was missing or not explained but more like you wish that there had been more of it, and the parts that were skipped were really construction parts with not a whole lot of exciting stuff in there but I am sure something cool could have been done

In this book Tyler is still in charge of most of everything but the government has control over the SAPL and other things Tyler built when there is a battle going on - there have been over a billion people killed in the plague that the Horvath unleashed in the first book and its not really a bad thing - it was mostly old people and people who were in poor health and people with crazy beliefs that didnt want the treatment - it resulted in what is called "johansens syndrome" for all surviving females, its basally that they go into "heat" when they have there period and want sex - and it turned all females into "17 year old males with choice" for about a week every month - this could be removed with gene therapy which was really expensive and was done for all women going into the service or working in space for obvious reasons, they cant have someone they just spent millions on to train get pregnant and have to take time off

This book is a just plain fun. If you like the idea of a giant battle station hammering aliens into little pieces than your going to like this. Ringo follows a different set of characters in this book even though characters from the first book continue to drive the story. The change in perspective helps to keep things fresh. I can't wait for the next one in this series.

What happens when you build a two trillion ton battlestation? They will come. John Ringo is back with the eccentric trillionaire Tyler Vernon and his newest invention to save human space. This time it's not just Maple Syrup and big solar array mirrors, it's the largest battlestation ever created. It looks like it's just in time too, as now it's not just the Horvath that want a piece of Terran Proper. The Rangora have decided that they are tired of playing second fiddle and go to war. From the reports it looks like the Rangora have wiped out the Glatun and are now gunning for the newest members of the space age. Will Troy be enough? Can it stand, unlike it's predecessor? Or will this be another Iliad with a Rangoran Achilles conquering a human Hector?

1*=I didn't like it.....
2*=It was OK......
3*=It was good but I will never read it again..........
4*=Maybe I will read it again in the future..............
5*=I will definitely read it again(maybe more than once)

Classic Ringo, wonderful book.
But every time I hear the narrator mispronounce "corpsman" I wanna kick him in the nuts. Repeatedly. With the old black-leather-steel toe boots i used to wear in the engine room.
It's pronounced "coreman"
just like a corps...darn civilians....

Watching superhero movies I always wondered what was happening to the side characters. What were they doing while the hero kicked the bad guy's ass? I wanted to watch additional scenes featuring the sidekick or the underdog. In Citadel I got exactly that. We have characters like Dana, the engineer who became a pilot in spite of being shot at by aliens (or maybe because she was shot at). There is Butch the welder, who's main activities were cutting up junks that were alien ships before and trying to survive the enemy fire. And there is the female military officer, who prefers to have sex with men only after beating them up to release the stress.

The story started kinda slow, I was bored sometimes in the beginning, but it got better later on.

A while ago I have read on a writer's blog that you shouldn't start scenes with dialogue, because it confuses the reader. I agreed at that time, but now I see differently It can work pretty well. Ringo started almost all scenes with dialogue. It created a micro suspense, because I was guessing who was talking, where were they and what were they doing. And Ringo did the dialogues quite well, every character sounded natural.

The "Americans are awesome" attitude irritated me a little bit, especially the figure of Tyler Vernon (appearing only sparingly), who was all-knowing, perfectly aware of what the humanity needed to beat the enemies. (Can someone who read the first book remind me where did he come from? I think he was having several part-time jobs as wood-cutter and book seller, trying to make a living. How comes he became the smartest man in the solar system?)

The story wouldn't be that original, we have read countless space battles and laser guns, but Ringo could put a nice spin in it having Troy as the gigantic battle-station and creating the geez-look-how-man-petawatts lasers.

I don't think I could take Ringo seriously, he had put a load of funny writing in the book, but that's fine, because sometimes I prefer the light reading.

A little to slow for me. I like a ton of action. The battles in this book were good but it seems like his publishers contract was for 3 books, but the story was only good for 2 books. So, he had to do to much fill in. A good 2-3 hours or more could be cut here and there with much better results. Much more personal stuff in this book 2 of the series to really move fast. Book 1 was great. This book seemed to drag on a little. I will probably listen again because it is a really great series, but I will fast forward through some of this book. Hopefully book 3 "Hot Gate" will be faster paced.

This is a good book, but it dips in the middle and flies off into "ideal" US politics. Generally no problem as this is written by an American, but it needs to keep some form of credibility and that is lost (at least to the non-US ear) when we are told (at great length) how the world depends upon the US but the US does not depend upon the world (being it's saviour for several decades).

You get the feeling that the author is venting his personal anger - especially against the French.

If you can ignore this 30 minutes of nonsense then it is a good story.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Allan

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom

7/15/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Really enjoying the book"

It has some weird bits but again really enjoying the series listening to the next book very shortly

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Jarvis

UK

1/31/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great book, great story"

If you take the story on its own it would get 5 stars. If not for the changing of history to show how America rule the world. Also a little more research needed to current political situation of the rest of the world. I.e. The French, German & Russian leaders are not called Prime ministers. That is the only fault. The science fiction is great, the characters are good.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mr. R. Chvapil

UK

1/11/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"This series is one of my favourites"

Mr Boyett is perfect Vernon in my mind. Key characters are nicely thought through and help paint live story.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Trevor

Minety

1/4/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Again good but annoying for non USA listeners"

Any additional comments?

This could be a good book but author alienates all other nations, i am from UK and he tried to be kind to us in a way. Like USA war movies where USA win everything no-one else was in WW2. However if you ignore the authors distaste for any nation other than USA the book was quite good and listenable. The idea of the book is clever just personal bias makes it annoying......

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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